Modern minoan bull leaping game (MMBL)

ABSTRACT

The invention of Modern Minoan Bull Leaping is to accurately and precisely depict the Minoan frescos as a performing art, which has certain marketable qualities such as sex appeal ,and portraying the modern game using a cooperative philosophy of agape (sacrificial love) rather than competition.

CROSS-REFERENCES

No other patents exist related to the subject of Bull Leaping, Minoan Bull Leaping, Modern Minoan Bull Leaping, Bull Dancing, or Bull Jumping.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The Modern Minoan Bull Leaping Game has not received or applied for any federal funds to the date this application was filed. And as such, all rights to the invention of Modern Minoan Bull Leaping belong solely to the inventor, Naoum Tsiartsionis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to athletic games, particularly the act of altruism as manifested behavior during play.

2. Description of Related Art

McLellan, Elizabeth. Minoan Crete. London: Longman 1976 is a book which gives her interpretation of the Minoan frescos. Pages 52-57 of McLellan's book describes the bull, Minoans, audience, Bull Leapers, and the French version of Bull Dancing as perceived by her. The entire page of 58 from her book is an assumed quote from Mary Renault's book The King Must Die. In brief, the page describes a bull dance.

As noted above, there exists a similar game in the south western part of France called Bull Dancing. This version of the game uses Landaise cows instead of bulls. The cows have their horns sheathed with a piece of rubber to reduce possible injuries matadors would sustain if hit. Another safety precaution taken by the French includes tying a rope to the cow—ensuring the cow may be towed away from the matador in the case of a mishap. It should also be noted that only men are depicted as matadors in the French Bull Dancing game. In addition, the uniform worn by the French Bull Dancers is identical to the one worn by participants in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain—white pants accompanied with a white shirt and a red sash.

The invention of MMBL has its roots in ancient Minoan (Greek, originating on the island of Crete) frescoes which depict a similar event. Unfortunately, there is no written account of the event from the Minoan time period. Naoum Tsiartsionis has taken the liberty of improvising regulations for a modern version of the bull leaping game. Hence the title, Modern Minoan Bull Leaping.

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention of Modern Minoan Bull Leaping is not to speculate on how the ancient game was played but rather to draw accurate and precise inferences from the frescos and implementing those deductions into a modern game which uses a cooperative philosophy of agape (sacrificial love) and create mass interest through sex appeal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Photographs:

FIG. 1: The Bull Leaping Fresco

The classic fresco from Knossos depicting a male doing a (double) summersault over the back of a bull with the assistance of two females.

Tsiartsionis interprets this piece of art work to be connected with the myth of the Minotaur. Legend has it that the Athenians would have to send seven virgin males and seven virgin females to be sacrificed to the Minotaur because King Minos demanded it in retribution for the death of his son. Figure number one is a snapshot of the story listed above where the symbolic death of a male is portrayed by the sumersault performance. It also appears that the female in the left portion of the fresco is about to mimic the male's action while the female in the right portion of the fresco will aid the male in landing. In addition, the female located in the left portion of the fresco may also be serving to distract the bull in order to prevent it, the bull, from trampling the male bull leaper.

It is noteworthy that everyone in the fresco is not wearing any clothing from the waist up. Tsiartsionis believes that this is a heroic display of courage because in rodeos, today, participants wear protective Kevlar vests.

FIG. 2: The Ladies in Blue fresco

This fresco is a close-up view of the grandstand.

It shows three women ornately dressed in what appears to be diaphanous clothing or in clothing which is completely and unashamedly exposing their bare breasts. The clothing is certainly refined and not intended for casual dress as suggested by the amount of jewelry the women are wearing—bracelets, necklaces, and head-dresses.

FIG. 3: The Grandstand

The painting shows that all seats are taken for the “sold out” event—Bull Leaping.

The women depicted standing on the staircase may either be there for security or spectator services—aiding people to find their seats, giving directions to either restroom or concession stands much like today's commercial sporting events.

The women seated in the “box seats” just to the right and left of the fresco's center may be enthralled in conversation. They surely have excellent seats with a good view of the performance and plenty of room to make themselves comfortable compared to the rest of the audience.

Three vestibules are located in the center of the fresco. They all have different colored backgrounds, blue, red, and yellow, this was intentionally done to help direct the audience find certain facilities: “red” may be for concessions, “blue” may be for the restrooms, “yellow” may indicate the way to exit the grandstands. In each of the vestibules there is decorative set of bull's horns located on the ground which may serve as a barrier to prevent a bull from entering . . . Can you imagine if a bull was able to leap into the grandstands, the panic stricken crowd would only need to make it from their seats to the vestibule for safety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention, Modern Minoan Bull Leaping, is multifaceted. Modern Minoan Bull Leaping creates a modern athletic game while disdaining contemporary competitive practices and replaces them with cooperation and love.

-   -   Modern Minoan Bull Leaping intends to provide an alternative         game theory which revolves around a cooperative philosophy         encouraging love.

Love is, by the classical Greek definition, comprised of the three following elements:

-   1. Eros—the mystical, unexplainable, physical attraction between two     individuals. -   2. Philin—friendship. -   3. Agape—the essence of love which means sacrifice.

Agape is the heart of Modern Minoan Bull Leaping. Tsiartsionis believes that if people see displays of agape in routine and extraordinary events, such as MMBL, that they are more likely to emulate them in their daily lives.

The following three requirements are needed to play Modern Minoan Bull Leaping:

-   1. Fourteen Bull Leapers in total, preferably seven males and seven     females, although any combination will suffice. -   2. A suitable location to play, unanimously agreed upon by all     participants before playing commences. -   3. A bull, or bovine in lieu of a bull.

Specific details about each of the criteria listed above are as follows:

The Bull Leapers

Seven males and seven females who met the following prerequisites in order to proceed with the application process:

-   Initially complete a questionnaire -   Must be willing to travel (internationally) at their own expense to     be interviewed -   Must be at least eighteen years of age -   Have a gymnastic background, capable to perform a double somersault     with relative ease -   Willing to perform before a live audience while topless (i.e. naked     from the waist up) -   Must have a valid passport and willing to travel internationally -   Willing to continue their education, formally and informally

A website will be created to solicit initial requests for Bull Leapers with the above criteria and other personal data. Together with the submission of their application the prospective Bull Leapers must submit a videotape stating why they want to become Bull Leapers. In addition, the potential candidates will be asked to sign various release forms.

Upon receiving an invitation from Naoum Tsiartsionis to participate in a “try-out” secession. The potential Bull Leapers are then asked to demonstrate their gymnastic abilities. Soon afterwards Naoum Tsiartsionis must select seven males and seven females from all of the people who “tried-out”.

Once the selection process has been completed those chosen to participate in the Bull Leaping game must receive specialized training. Training for the game includes but is not limited to familiarizing the behavioral characteristics of a particular bull, learning a second language, and continuing to expand their knowledge of kinesiology.

The safety of the Bull Leapers is the main concern and draw to the game. Bull Leaping is as adventurous as rodeo competitions such as bull riding. A large segment of injuries that occur to rodeo participants are sustained to the head and neck—that is excellent cause for Bull Leapers to receive specialized training before participating. Furthermore, the absence of protective clothing, usually in the form of a Kevlar vest, would draw a larger mass media audience.

Tsiartsionis believes that requiring safety gear would defeat the very purpose of the game. Wearing a helmet and safety vest would invalidate Modern Minoan Bull Leaping's attempt to accurately and precisely reflect a truthful interpretation of the Minoan frescos.

Location

An outdoor location would be ideally acquired observing these restrictions—“summer temperatures”, preferably but not necessarily in the Mediterranean, taking place on flat ground.

The most ideal location would be to use the central courtyard at Knossos. Permission to use this location would need to be requested through the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Applications regarding provision of archeological sites for events are dealt with by their administration office together with additional data regarding the programmed event (type of event, set, contributors, scope, etc. . . . ). Subsequently, the application is forwarded to the Central Archeological Committee for approval/disapproval according to law, based on which a decision is issued by the minister. It should be noted that the endurance and preservation of the state of the archeological site or ancient monuments is taken into account when considering applications, for their provision for various events, so that the safety of the audience is guaranteed as well as the protection of the place, but also the quality of the proposed event.

Note that there are a large number of events taking place every year in archeological sites or ancient monuments, such as the Herod of Attica Theatre and Roman Theatre of Patras, and applications are considered from the Dedicated Artist Committee before they are forwarded to the Central Archeological Committee at least a year before the programmed event. In this way, the highest quality of events taking place in archeological sites during summertime is assured.

If approval is not granted by the Central Archeological Committee a subsequent site with the fore mentioned criteria will be obtained, most likely with much less bureaucracy.

The field of play will contain barriers from which the Bull Leapers can safely and quickly stand behind if they feel threatened by the bull. Likewise, there will be medical professionals on the scene in case an accident happens.

The field of play will also be bordered with a large wall, approximately two meter or larger and uniform in color. This wall will be used to create an advertisement using “blue screen” technology. That is to say that the wall itself will not visually display any advertisements to the present audience but rather the advertisements will be inserted via electronic methods so that spectators viewing the game by mass communications will see the advertisement.

The Bull

Most importantly, a bull is needed to play Modern Minoan Bull Leaping. Preferably a bull that charges moving objects.

Fighting bulls, bulls that charge moving objects, are held in high regard by cattle breeders for their remarkable speed and agility. These magnificently powerful animals typically weighing over a ton (that's over 1200 pounds) go so far as exhibiting an elegant stature.

In lieu of a bull a horned bovine may take the place of the bull.

How to Play the Game: Modern Minoan Bull Leaping

The game has the following guidelines;

All fourteen of the Bull Leapers enter the field of play.

Shortly thereafter a bull enters the field of play.

From that point on the Bull Leapers are disqualified from the game if they come in contact with the bull or leave the field of play. The only exception to this guideline is if a Bull Leaper performs a double somersault over the bull. In that instance, a Bull Leaper is permitted to continue playing.

It is a self evident truth that there is safety in numbers. That is why a cooperative strategy is employed rather than a competitive one. This is because competition directly implies that the winner is better than the loser. Modern Minoan Bull Leaping encourages the players to aid and assist one another at the potential risk of being disqualified from the game and/or suffering bodily injury from the bull. Thus, MMBL demonstrates that spiritual and commercial value can simultaneously exist in doing the right thing.

A three minute time out may be initiated by the motioning of a single player but all of the Bull Leapers must unanimously agree to it. This may be repeated throughout the course of a single game.

The pleasure of Bull Leaping springs from attracting the charging bull and avoid being gored at the last possible moment by performing an acrobatic maneuver over or around the bull.

While the Bull Leaping game is in progress a live audience will be present.

The Minoans ceremoniously held Bull Leaping events over four thousand years ago. Unfortunately there is not a written account of how the game was played. Although, there has remained several frescos which indicate that dances may have been employed to facilitate the opening ceremony. Four millennia later, Bull Leapers are about to embark in such tests of skill once again. Instead of competing in large stadiums, like today's commercial sports, Bull Leapers will perform for smaller crowds no larger than two or three thousands people. Even though the live event will be relatively small compared to popular commercial sports, millions of television viewers may still be watching . . . but it is more realistic and cost effective to employ the internet as a means of mass communication. In the end of the day the Bull Leapers will be hailed as heroes if they acted with prudence, humility, patience, and with agape.

Modern Minoan Bull Leaping's creation by Naoum Tsiartsionis is a product which gives people the option of watching an alternative reality show without vain talk and meddling ambition (competing for cash prizes).

Bull Leaping has a mystical past to which a definite future will be ascribed to—a symbol of a glorious era in human history, where progress was not only marked by advances in technology but also advances of the human spirit . Alexander the Great said, “On the conduct of each lies the fate of all,” and humanity will echo his words over two thousand years later as they watch Modern Minoan Bull Leaping. Modern Minoan Bull Leaping's task is not only to entertaining but also to encourage people to live a virtuous life through the example set by the Bull Leapers.

Modern Minoan Bull Leaping is a high concept dramatization communicated by film, (live) television programming, the internet, and any other means of mass communication known or devised.

Modern Minoan Bull Leaping owes a great deal of its success to its inherit marketable traits. These traits are characterized as the most widely used tools in the business of marketing; animals (bulls), children (young adults actually), and sex appeal. 

1. Modern Minoan Bull Leaping is an accurate and precise reenactment of the Minoan Bull-leaping Fresco.
 2. Modern Minoan Bull Leaping is a game manifested as a performing art not a competitive sport.
 3. Rather than using a competitive (pitting one player against another) philosophy, Modern Minoan Bull Leaping employs a cooperative strategy among participants.
 4. Judges and officials are not needed to supervise Modern Minoan Bull Leapers during play because the participants agreed upon guidelines made and will enforce the guidelines themselves.
 5. The field of play shall be outdoors and the boundaries shall be unanimously agreed upon by the players before the start of the game.
 6. The boundaries surrounding the field of play will consist of walls that are at least two meters tall to protect the audience from the bull/bovine.
 7. The walls protecting the audience will also serve as advertising space via “blue screen” technology.
 8. A bull is needed to play Modern Minoan Bull Leaping.
 9. In lieu of a bull, a bovine from the sub-family Bovinae may take the place of a bull in Modern Minoan Bull Leaping.
 10. The audience is part of the Bull Leaping spectacle with their flamboyant attire. Women in the audience may choose to wear diaphanous clothing which will become fair game for broadcasting.
 11. While employing a method of distributing MMBL, via mass communications, each Bull Leapers' position maybe visible on the field of play like a video game showing their position from above in a portion of the screen.
 12. Modern Minoan Bull Leaping does not tie a rope to the bull/bovine in order to restrict its movement.
 13. The game focuses participants jumping/leaping/somersaulting/vaulting over a bull while aiding fellow participants.
 14. Both females and males participate in equal numbers, seven females and seven males, fourteen in total.
 15. MMBL can be played in any ratio of males to females, including games comprised of only males or females, but it is most just if the game begins with seven males and seven females.
 16. MMBL may take place at anytime during the year because the location may be in the northern or southern hemisphere creating a suitably warm to hot environment.
 17. Bull Leapers must be at least eighteen years of age to play.
 18. The Bull Leapers do not wear any clothing from the waist up, thus exposing their naked torsos at all times.
 19. The game ends when all participants are no longer playing. This happens by elimination according to the agreed upon regulations or when the players quit, in which case they are always entitled to do.
 20. The players are allowed to physically touch the bull once. When physical contact is made between the bull and the player, the player is eliminated from the game. The only exception to this guideline is if a Bull Leaper performs a double somersault.
 21. The Modern Minoan Bull Leaper's motto is, “On the conduct of each lies the fate of all.”—Alexander the Great
 22. The Bull Leapers are allowed to independently call for a personal time out. They may find it useful to repeat this action several times throughout a single game.
 23. The Bull Leapers may unanimously agree for a group “time out” in which all the Bull Leapers simultaneously have a three minute break.
 24. The Bull Leapers may also find it beneficial to play several consecutive games at a particular location because of convenience.
 25. Bull Leaping teaches the participants and spectators alike that being disqualified honorably is more valuable than continuing to play in disgrace.
 26. Objects may be added to the field of play in order for the Bull Leapers to jump from.
 27. Additional objects may be added to the field of play to serve as barriers to separate the Bull Leapers from the bull.
 28. The substratum for the field of play may vary, from one game to another game, in its composition—soil, grass, artificial turf, etc. . . . 